Meteora In Greece

A Trip to Greece would not be complete without a night in Kalambaka and a visit to Meteora. The Greek word Meteora means “suspended in the air” and this phrase aptly describes these remarkable Greek Orthodox monasteries. Access to the monasteries was originally (and deliberately) difficult, requiring either long ladders latched together or large nets used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith the ropes were replaced, so the story goes, only “when the Lord let them break”.

Today only six monasteries are active with a small number of monks or nuns who reside on Meteora.  Our groups enjoy a chance to visit St. Stephen’s Monastery which today is the most accessible.  St. Stephen’s Monastery includes two cathedrals; the old 16th century chapel which was severely damaged during WWII and the consequent Greek Civil War, and the 18th century main cathedral that is dedicated to Saint Charalambos and includes his holy relics.